Robert Lewandowski scored a dramatic 87th-minute winner to secure a crucial 2-1 victory for Barcelona over Atletico Madrid, extending their lead at the top of La Liga to seven points. The Polish striker used his shoulder to deflect home a rebound from Joao Cancelo's effort after the goalkeeper's save, capping a hard-fought match at the Metropolitano Stadium.

Earlier on Saturday, second-placed Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat at Mallorca, setting the stage for Barcelona to capitalize. Atletico took the lead in the 39th minute through Giuliano Simeone, but Marcus Rashford equalized just three minutes later, drilling past Juan Musso on only his third league start since January.

Atletico were reduced to 10 men just before half-time when midfielder Nico Gonzalez was sent off for a foul on Lamine Yamal. Barcelona defender Gerard Martin also saw a red card early in the second half, but it was revoked after a VAR review, sparking fury from the home side. Despite Atletico's resilient defense with a numerical disadvantage, Lewandowski's late intervention proved decisive.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone rotated his squad heavily, with Wednesday's visit to Camp Nou in mind, as his team has little left to play for in La Liga. In contrast, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick opted for Dani Olmo as a false nine to rest Lewandowski, while starting Rashford in place of the injured Raphinha on the left wing.

The match featured several missed opportunities: Antoine Griezmann, playing for Atletico for the first time since announcing his departure to MLS side Orlando City, fired too close to Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, while Fermin Lopez failed to find Rashford in a clear scoring chance. Barcelona's 18-year-old star Lamine Yamal hit the post with a dinked effort. Ultimately, Lewandowski's experience and composure delivered three vital points for Barcelona in their title defense bid.

Source: www.aljazeera.com